


I'll Never Forget How It Felt To Love You

by threepen



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hanahaki Disease, I promise but uhhh, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, M/M, Spirits, They don't want him to die, Zuko has good friends, Zuko just wants Hanahaki gone, also known as: The spirits fuck with Zuko's life some more and he does not like it, its got a big low, just make up all that medical stuff don't mind me, no beta we die like jet, sokka is an oblivious idiot, too bad the problems don't end there
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28167759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/threepen/pseuds/threepen
Summary: Zuko has started coughing up flowers, and for the first time in his life, hes running straight towards his problem. He's gonna get rid of this stupid disease, without confessing to Sokka. Nope, no sir, he is not going through that embarrassment, not to mention it might kill him. Instead he has a simpler plan- he'll ask the healer to perform the surgery and all the flowers will be gone, its a win-win. Too bad everything in Zuko's life has to be far from simple.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I can't believe I actually got around to posting this! I've been working on this since about September and I'm really excited to hear what y'all are gonna think. There are some amazing Hanahaki fics in this fandom and I'm really hoping to bring something different to Hanahaki. 
> 
> This chapter is a basically just some backstory/lore to Hanahaki that's gonna be important later (and just in general) next week will be a real chapter
> 
> I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment anything!

Hua and Ai, they were two sisters, spirits. Back before the Avatar cycle started the spirits roamed the earth. Hua and Ai were two of them. Hua was the flower, or plant spirit, and Ai was the love spirit.

Ai would control the love of the world, every relationship made, was all her doing. Ai was like a switch, most of the time she was calm, peaceful, and just made relationships bloom like the flowers of her sister. But sometimes she would snap and destroy so much, but that hasn't happened yet in our story.

Hua, on the other hand, was very much like her sister but instead of being an on and off switch she flowed like leaves in the wind. She made flowers bloom and plants thrive as she passed by. She worked hand in hand with her sister, her flowers making a beautiful gift for new couples.

Soon enough the humans began to wreak havoc after four of the spirits shared some of their energy. The once peaceful world was now becoming slowly more chaotic.

One day Ai decided she had enough. She destroyed her first relationship. A once happy couple slowly grew out of love and were driven insane. The man was the first person to die of love.

Huda tried to confront her sister. She tried to convince her that even though the humans were becoming more dangerous they did not deserve to feel her wrath. Ai agreed to stop, for now.

When the spirits were driven back into the spirit world Ai was furious. She was enraged, all the people she passed on her way into the spirit world were cursed. Ai had no idea why some spirits decided to stay with these wretched humans. She wished Tui and La would listen to her but alas, they didn’t.

Hua came with her too, with some convincing of course. And in the years that the spirits were locked away it became normal for relationships to not work out. When Hua found out that her sister continued, she was boiling with rage.

Instead of confronting Ai (that was really not Hua’s style) she decided to take her own action. She left the spirit world and went in search for her revenge. She wandered the world for days, forming ideas on what she could do. Then she found it.

The perfect victim.

___

The girl she chose, Ahaki, was quite plain. She had a stable-ish job, a loving family and an admiration for her best friend. _Hua could work with that._

Hua faded back into spirit form and followed Ahaki to her house where the girl promptly fell asleep, and Hua began her work. Hua reached inside Ahaki’s mind and soul and began weaving and twisting them to fit the way she wanted them to.

She used some of the things she had seen her sister do countless times before. She threaded and tied the beginnings of love. Hua had twisted Ahaki’s admiration for her best friend into a weapon Hua could use for her choosing. And as a final touch she added something personal, a mark that would let any spirit know that Hua had been there.

A flower plant, slowly growing in poor Ahaki’s lungs.

___

When Ahaki woke up she was surrounded by flower petals. Unbeknownst to her these would soon become the very thing she despised. She began her day like normal and everything went as planned, for both Ahaki and Hua.

When Ahaki first saw her best friend, Kure, Hua made her move. She saw the blossoming of affection in Ahaki’s soul and made the plant bloom. Purple lilacs, Hua had chosen them for their symbolism of new love, so pure, but not in her eyes.

Ahaki coughed and a petal came out of her mouth and into her palm. _What?_ She was confused, what was going on? Did she just _puke_ up a flower petal? Little did she know the horror it would cause her.

___

In the next months Hua worked almost effortlessly to enact her revenge. Ahaki was getting worse by the day and had yet to figure out that it was because of her affections for Kure. The local doctor did know though and was furiously working to find a cure, or at least an instance where this had happened before.

Not long after that Ahaki put the pieces together. She finally found out at least partially, why this was happening to her. She pleaded with Ai and begged for forgiveness for what she had done to deserve this curse, but her prayers laid unanswered.

Soon, after seven months, Ahaki was nearly dead. The flowers all but killed her, consuming her lungs with their beautiful colors and symbolism. She lay on her death bed with her family surrounding her, Kure was there too. Her family went out to speak to the doctor, leaving the girl and her weakness alone.

_“I always loved you.”_

Ahaki was the first person to ever die of flowers.

Kure lay by her now dead body, clutching the sheets, _Kure had loved her too._  
And there began the cycle. Hua would find people. Vulnerable people. She could exploit their weaknesses and create something deadly, but beautiful. She went around from one unrequited lover to another, enacting revenge for her sister’s actions.

Soon word began to spread of the deadly flowers, and that if you contracted them, you would soon be dead. Mourning mothers and fathers and friends greeved when one got the curse. I soon came to be known as Hanahaki disease. Where the Han had come from Hua didn't know. But the second half came from her first victim, Ahaki.

___

The fun for Hua soon ended.

She was pulled back to the spirit world where she found Ai fuming. _Ah, Ai had found out what she was doing._ She let Ai go at her for what seemed like days in the spirit world. But ultimately, Ai agreed that the humans needed a wake up call. Ai argued that what Hua had done was too much but that maybe they could come to an agreement.

Hua could pick one victim per year, less if she ever wanted too. Ai would come up and tie the beginnings of romantic love, and Hua would plant the bud. Hua and Ai agreed that if the cursed confessed and the affections were returned (per random by Ai) The flowers would go away and the victim would be healed.

But if the affections were not returned, or they just didn't confess the flowers would grow, suffocating the victim to death. All was fair.

___

A few hundred years later, the sisters encountered a challenge, the humans had grown strong and ignorant of the spirit’s presences. They had discovered a way to remove Hua’s flowers without the victim confessing or dying, most of the time at least.

Of course the sisters were furious , and even considered at one point breaking their agreement and unleashing a wave of Hanahaki on the world, but instead they came up with a far more just punishment.

Love, or life.

You could have the flowers removed, but you could no longer love romantically or sexually. If you did not get the flowers removed, you would face death if you didn't have the courage to confess in time. It was fair.

And so that brings us to the end of one story and the beginning of another. Both with the tale of two sisters enacting justice in the sometimes deadly form of flowers and love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: December 29th


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely kudos and hits!

The war ravaged the four, now three, nations. All the spirits were crazed with anger. Not many of them could actually shift in and out of worlds without him, the Avatar, as humans called them. The spirit world had a much simpler name for them, the one between worlds. Yes, it was a handful, but that didn't really matter to spirits.

The war had been going on for about 50 years now and things didn't seem to be dying down. The spirits were growing restless. _Where was the one between worlds? Wasn't he supposed to keep the peace?_ The whispers were growing.

Per their agreement, Hua and Ai still tried to fulfil their promise to humanity. But instead of punishing everyone in this already painful time, they gave it to ones who deserved it. Citizens scamming for food that should have been for ones who deserved it, people who didn't lose anything in the war. They didn't place the curse as often either. One every three to ten years maybe. The world was already suffering, why contribute to that?

Soon it had been almost a hundred years since the war began and “Sozin’s Comet” as the humans called it, was only 5 years away. The spirits knew that this could be the end of the world as they knew it. This had never happened once in history and they never wanted to see it happen again.

Hua knew if she was going to do something she should do it now. So she set off into the human world doing what she had been doing for longer than she could remember now, searching for a human to leave her mark on.

___

Hua had felt a special connection to him from the start, as well as a few others, but this boy, he was by far the most interesting. She knew she wanted to let the boy bear her gift. But alas someone had already claimed him for the time being.

Hua knew the marks of fate and she knew the impact that she would cause if she disrupted fate. She would lay her touch on him one day. Not today, of course, he was far too young to begin with, and she wanted to see what fate had planned for him. She wondered why fate might possibly want the Fire Lord’s son.

___

Time passed and Hua wanted nothing more than to crush the boy with her vines. She _definitely_ did _not_ want to give this monster the chance for love. He was trying to kill the one between worlds. _The only way the other spirits could communicate, the only one who could stop this war._

The spirits wanted him dead. Tui and La helped as best as they could, and while that was a bit of a victory, the spirits finally had hope. When the spirits had hope they helped as best they could. Fate was the most helpful of all in a way. No one knew how fate worked their magic but they hoped that fate wouldn’t torture them anymore.

The boy had gone through a lot, and yet Hua and Ai didn’t know why fate had chosen him. Hua and Ai hoped that fate would run their course with him and they could have their turn. So they waited, and they watched, as the boy went through even more and soon they began to see why fate had chosen such a boy to weave into their history.

___

The mark that fate had left on the boy faded as things grew more peaceful. Hua and Ai could finally make their move. The spirit sisters worked their way through the astral plane where the boy slept. The boy (who could now be classified as a man but would still be centuries younger than Hua and Ai so in their minds he was still a boy) was quite peaceful.

It had been about four years since they had last come to specifically see him. Hua and Ai had come to enjoy watching the boy, he and his friends had tried, and started, to fix the world from a century of war. He had been so busy that the sisters felt they owed him a bit of a break. But now it was their turn to leave an impact on this boy’s life.

They stood on the right side of his bed, Yue flowing through their half-corporeal forms and shrouding the boy in an ethereal light. The spirits dove their forms into the boy’s heart, lungs and mind, searching on who to place the boy’s affections on.

They searched, and searched, Ai had already given the boy tastes of her power throughout his life. It was frustrating for them, until-

_Blue._

Unmistakable blue eyes. _How could they have missed it?_ The blue-eyed boy had been in many of his fondest memories. _Him. He was the one_.

She could already see the place this boy held in the Fire Lord’s heart. It also seemed that nature had already started Ai’s work. The boy had already formed a bond deeper than friendship with the Water Tribe boy, it was only a matter of time before Ai came along and helped.

So Ai worked on the more true love that the boy would one day feel for him. The love that would either embrace him with happiness and fullness. Or a love that would kill him from the inside out. Which love the boy got was up to him.

Hua worked on the flower seed in his right lung. Camellia, both red and pink ones. They symbolized longing and a flame in the boy’s heart. Ironic. Camellias were beautiful, they bloomed outwards, layer, upon layer. They grew more and more beautiful with time. It would be a shame that only the spirits could see the beauty of her mark.

Soon the sisters finished their work, the seeds of both love and flowers planted inside the boy. From here on out it was up to him to choose where his life would go. He had done this before and he would have to do it again. The spirits left him with a gift. The calm before the storm. A paradice about to be encased in chaos.

They left into the night, the job not taking more than a few minutes. Yue still shined bright on the boy, a sign of acceptance from the spirit, the boy would have a long road ahead of him if he wanted the boy she had loved.

This would be a peaceful sleep for the boy, with a beautiful dream, quite uncommon for him. The spirits hoped he would enjoy it while it lasted. After all, what could they do now but wait.

___

In Zuko’s mind the scenery changed like wind blowing away unwanted leaves. One second he was in a nightmare then he was in a paradise. The same wind had blown some of his hair back- it wasn't in his usual top-knot he noticed- and left a cool trail in its wake.

He was in the gardens, the old ones from when he was a child and would play with his mother, and the new ones he had fixed up with the help of his friends. It was truly beautiful to see what the culmination of what the two gardens were like combined. He hoped that they would maybe look like this one day.

He walked over and sat at the edge of the pond, watching the sun reflect on the water. It was so peaceful. He had no idea what had caused him to dream like this but he thanked whatever spirit had granted this.

He glanced in the water for a second time only to see another face reflecting on the cool surface of the water. Sokka. Zuko was mildly surprised to see him there but it made sense, after all they had come and fed the turtleducks often. It was nice to be in the presence of his friend with no responsibilities looming over them at the moment, even if it was just a dream.

Zuko sat for a while, relishing the calm that the dream offered him. A cool hand rested upon his jaw and turned his head.

“Hey” the dream-Sokka said in a soft tone, almost like the wind that kept sweeping Zuko’s peaceful haven.

“Hi”

It was a simple enough response, but dream-Sokka smiled. Dream-Sokka’s hand still on Zuko’s jaw pulled him closer. Zuko’s eyes widened while dream-Sokka’s closed. The air seemed to be pulling them together. Their lips met and it felt so _different_. Maybe it was because it was just a dream, or it was a guy, or it was just, _Sokka_ , but Zuko felt like he could explode. He had never felt like this with Mai.

Time seemed to slow- as it could, this _was_ a dream- and their lips seemed to slot together so perfectly. It was breathtaking, like just the kiss could ignite a whole nother fire in Zuko. Dream-Sokka’s other hand came up to cup the other half of Zuko’s jaw, and it was only then that Zuko realized that his hands were on his shoulders.

They didn’t come apart for air, there was no need, they couldn't die in here. It was paradise. Zuko wished it could last forever. Him, and Sokka- _no it was a dream, a dream where he was kissing Sokka._ Zuko pulled apart in a frenzy immediately wishing he had stayed, because what he saw in Sokka’s eyes; it was like a storm.

If he hadn't thought that Sokka was beautiful before he sure did now. But his eyes were dangerous, they were like the oceans he had navigated for years, rash, unpredictable. That was normal, and Sokka could pull off those two qualities perfectly, no, what unnerved him was the absolute destruction that out shined the other two.

Sokka wasn't like this- he had only seen that destruction a few times in Aang and never wanted to see them aimed against him again. The thing was they were not aimed against him, they were more like glass, he could see through them but, there was so much more, so much history to get them there.

He wondered how the dream had gotten like this, it had started off as a paradise, and now he was looking at pure devastation, his own.

Zuko finally had the courage to look away from dream-Sokka’s mesmerizing blue eyes. The second he looked away though his lungs felt like someone was closing their fist around them. It got harder and harder to breath and- he couldn't breathe-

Zuko’s eyes burst open, he took a deep breath. His chest heaved and his lungs flooded with air. He was alone, in his bed. His hair was askew and he was in his room. Then all of a sudden- he coughed. The sound was loud in the mostly silent room. He grabbed his pillow in a hope to muffle the sound. _Cough cough._ He felt something tickle his throat, but it soon went away. Once the coughing had stopped he pulled away. He was left with his pillow. And something soft, red and small.

_A flower petal._

___

Zuko was trying very hard not to freak out, as one might expect, it wasn't going very well. He vaguely remembered that when he was younger his mother told him the story of a girl who coughed up flowers, who eventually _died_.

He didn't really remember much but, _Agni, he was going to die_. Zuko spent the next few minutes rocking back and forth in his bed, cradling the singular petal in his hands. _What was he going to do?_

He eventually made his way out of his bed and into his formal robes for the day. He set the petal in his nightstand, hidden away for anyone who might come looking, not that they would know what it meant. He sat in front of his mirror and put some of his hair into a simple top-knot, not really wanting the stylists to do his hair right now.

When Zuko finally stepped out of his room moderately calm, yet he was greeted by a worried Suki.

“Zuko are yo-”

“I’m _fine_.”

Suki’s frown deepens and she opens her mouth to retort.

“I’m fine so don't.”

Suki’s mouth closes. She obviously didn't believe Zuko, she had been around him long enough to know when things were wrong. But she also knows when to give him space, and this is one of those times.

“Ok. But you better go to breakfast.”

“I'll be there…”

Zuko is already down the hall by the time Suki registers his small response. She sighs. This was gonna be a long day.

___

Zuko practically ran through the corridors. He needed to get to the library, he needed to know everything about what was happening to him. On the way he remembered what it was called, Hanahaki, it was a story… but it was also considered to be a curse, or disease.

He had never heard of an actual person getting it, and boy, was he happy he remembered what his mother had told him or he would have been _screwed_. He finally arrived at the entrance of the library and began his search, stories, or disease? He searched through both parts until he came across a small book labeled “The Tale of Ahaki the Flower Bearer.”

He sat down right where he stood and began to read. He read of the spirits who had cursed this poor woman into love and death. He read of how the one that she loved could have cured her. Then he read the scientific portion of the book. It stated that there would be multiple flower plants growing in his lungs, they would grow with time and suffocate him. He would die if he could not cure it.

The book stated two ways to heal Hanahaki disease. The first one would be to have the love that caused the disease to be requited. Based on the dream he had… it seemed quite obvious who the unrequited love was referring too. And he was not confessing. No sir. Thank you very much. The second was a surgery, one that would remove the plants from his lungs all together, some people didn't survive it, but it was better than confessing or just dying no matter what.

___

Zuko kept the book, it being hidden in his robes as he ventured back into the castle. He would keep his promise to Suki and go to breakfast, he would receive a long lecture if she found out he didn't. He didn't know why the spirits would choose him. They had already messed with his life enough. Why decide to screw it up all over again. He took a deep breath, it would all be over soon.

Zuko finally made it back to the castle and into the dining room to have breakfast. He wasn't really expecting anyone to be there but someone was. And it was the person he least needed to see right now.

“Hey Zuko!”

Zuko's chest tightened. He took a fleeting breath.

And-

_Cough. Cough._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter, feel free to drop a comment
> 
> Next Update: January 12


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a few days late, I've had a rough few days and posting just completely escaped my mind. Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter though!

_ Cough. Cough. _

Zuko immediately covered his mouth as soon as he felt the tickle of flower petals rising in his throat. The singular petal forces its way out of his lungs and into his hand, so he burns it, the only evidence left is ash drifting to the floor, invisible to the naked eye.

He had no idea that Hanahaki would affect him this much, well of course he knew it would get to him eventually but just  _ being around Sokka?  _ That was extensive. 

“You good man?” Sokka’s words brought Zuko out of his thoughts and kindly reminded him that he was, A, not alone and, B, in the presence of the guy causing this  _ very  _ concerning problem.

“Uh yeah, I'm fine.” Zuko knew this answer wasn't enough based on the look on Sokka’s face, but hey, it would have to do for now. 

“Alright, um,” Sokka’s face froze for a second thinking of a way to change the subject and his face lit up, “ hey Zuko did ya have any dreams cuz’ I did and it was awesome lemme tell ya”

Sokka’s voice faded into the background as Zuko fully filtered what Sokka had said, it was no surprise that Zuko wasn't thinking about the dream, obviously he had better, more prominent things to do, but still. He did not want to think about that dream. 

“And then I used my new marakas to cause an earthquake because I-”

Zuko had zoned back in for a second before his brain had the very helpful idea of  _ showing him his dream again.  _ A light flush roze up Zuko’s neck and settles on his cheeks.  _ Dammit,  _ it wasn't like he didn't like the idea of kissing Sokka, but the dream was just so cliche!

“And then the random Earth Kingdom guy slid down the stairs of my new house that Katara built and I woke up.” Sokka looked at Zuko with a radiant smile.

_ Oh.  _ Zuko stifled a laugh, because from what he heard that was a pretty crazy dream. And after that smile that Sokka made, Zuko wished he had heard the whole thing. Something seemed off though. 

Just then Suki interrupted his thoughts by walking into the dining room and reminding the two boys that the first meeting of the day would start in a few minutes- all the way across the castle. And that was when Zuko realized he had not only been too caught up in his own thoughts and Sokka’s story to not eat, but he was, to put it simply as Toph would, fucked. 

___

Zuko was sitting in a meeting very much  _ not  _ listening to what Ambassador Cheang was saying, instead heis thoughts focused on more pressing matters. Like the flowers, that although he couldn't feel them at the moment, were there. Slowly killing him, all because he had realized he liked Sokka, and the spirits decided to punish him for that. 

It really sucked. He didn't like it at all. And honestly? He just wanted to get rid of them as fast as he could- without Sokka finding out of course. So that's why as soon he learned more about these stupid flowers, he was going to healer and getting these flowers the heck out of him. Repercussions be damned. 

Zuko had gotten out of that meeting as soon as it ended. He strode to the gardens, his place of peace. The gardens had been unkempt in the years Zuko and his mother had been gone. So when Zuko had a break during his early days of being Fire Lord, he and his friends had agreed to fix up the garden. Toph had done most of the landscaping and made places for the garden to grow. Katara and Aang had helped water the plants that Zuko and Sokka had picked out. 

Sokka had surprised Zuko by wanting to help pick out the foliage for the garden. It had really turned out to be a beautiful place, and while the others  _ had _ helped, it felt like the gardens were now their own. 

…Which made the dream all the more meaningful. Maybe they could go on a picnic date… they would sit by the pond, eat food, and feed the turtleducks. Then maybe at the end they would kiss… just like the dream-  _ no. Bad Zuko. don't think about that. _

Zuko took a deep beneath and pulled out the book he had taken earlier which was still hidden in his robes, unseen. He turned to the page that he had left off on and continued his research. The surgery was probably the best way to go, even if it was almost purely experimental. The book  _ was  _ from over 300 years ago and he hadn't heard of anyone housing plants in their lungs during his travels with Uncle. 

Maybe he should ask Katara if she could heal him? No. She would just worry, tell Aang, who would then tell Sokka which absolutely did NOT need to happen. No, he wouldn't tell Katara, maybe he could jet tell ReiLi, after all the healer had helped him with his injuries from sparring and… the other attacks. Right now, ReiLi seemed like the best option, Zuko trusted her, he was kind and stubborn, much like Katara in that scene, maybe he hired her for that. 

Zuko closed the book, he already had the information he needed, now the only step left was to ask ReiLi to remove the flowers. Then this whole one-day mess of panic would be over. Simple.

Or so he thought.

___

Zuko’s plan was thwarted almost the minute he walked back inside the palace. 

Zuko sighed. He should have expected this. Suki was definitely going to want to know what was going on. After all, he wasn't a very good liar and she would have dug out the truth from him one way or another.

“So Zuko,” She paused, the serious face slipping off and in its pace a smile, guided Zuko to sit on a bench with a view of the gardens, “wanna tell me what happened this morning?”

“I- um, uh, I had a dream.”

Suki’s smile falls off her face,  _ she must think it's a nightmare Zuko’s mind supplies. You could just go with it. _

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Suki knows all about his nightmares, she too being the one guarding him. If she hears screams in his room, she has a right to know why. 

“No, not really, just the usual.”  _ relax, relax, relax. _

Zuko’s newfound problem decides to make its appearance right there. Like the morning, he coughs into his palm and burns the  _ two  _ petals and hopes she doesnt see the ash get lost in the air. Sadly, she isn't as far away as Sokka was this morning and she is definitely more perceptive than sokka to his surroundings. So of course she sees the ashes. 

“ _ Zuko, why did ash come out of your hand?” _

Zuko is silent. Not just because his throat hurts now, but also for the obvious reason that he doesn't want Suki to know that he contracted a disease that is killing him because he likes Sokka, which his mind happily decides to remind him at the moment, is her  _ ex.  _

“Um, well, I, uh-”

“ _ Zuko _ ”

“ImayormaynothaveadiseasethatiskillingmecauseIlikeSokka”

“ _ WHAT?! _ ” How she had managed to understand his rambling Zuko did not know, “You- You’re  _ dying?” _

“Um... maybe?” Zuko rubbed his neck, a telltale sign that Suki had long known meant that Zuko was nervous or uncomfortable, “That's what the book said?”

Suki took a deep breath, she would have to go about this with caution, Zuko was clearly uncomfortable with the subject, and had withheld this  _ life threatening  _ information from his  _ bodyguard  _ and more importantly, his friend. 

“Alright Zuko, start from the beginning,” she attempted a reassuring smile, and by the look on Zuko’s face it had helped a bit. 

“Well, last night I uh, had a dream,” If Suki seen the blush rise on his cheeks, she didn't comment, “when I woke up I couldnt breath, so I coughed and coughed, and then there were… um two flower petals…”

Suki sucked in a sharp breath, she had heard a tale or two from some of the people of the village, after all they all came from different parts of the earth kingdom and had many stories to tell. But she had never believed the one about the so-called “Hanahaki Disease” the thought hadn't even crossed her mind when Zuko mentioned it. But now it was evidently clear. Everything fit. The story was real, and there was proof right in front of her...

“So it's Sokka huh?”

Zuko looked up from where he had buried his head in his hands. “Oh- uh yeah, but um don't worry about it, I'm going to see ReiLi! I'm gonna see if she can get the flowers out!”

“Oh, alright Zuko, I won't keep you any longer,” Zuko started walking towards the doors back into the palace, “but, Zuko, please talk to me if you need anything.”

Zuko smiled, “I will.”

___

Zuko walked briskly through the halls to the infirmary. He was going to get rid of this problem right now. He wouldn't die, or have to confess his feelings to Sokka, win-win right?

He finally made it through the long, twisting hallways of the palace to the infirmary where the door was open. He walked in and sat on the cot. ReiLi turned and greeted him with a smile, her eyes twinkling. Sadly they dimmed when they realized that Zuko must have been here for something. 

“What do you need today Mr. Fire Lord?”

Zuko had gotten used to this kind of teasing from ReiLi, afterall he had been to the infirmary enough times to count. They had become friends. ReiLi was one of the few people inside the castle that he actually trusted. She was practically his therapist- heck if you asked anyone else they would say she  _ was  _ his therapist. She basically knew everything about him- a thing few people could say, and he knew she wouldn't tell anyone anything, that’s why he trusted her.

“I’ve uh, got a disease.”

“Oh? And what disease has caused our dear Fire Lord coming here  _ begging  _ for my help?”

“ _ ReiLi _ ”

“ _ Fine _ . Alright Zuko, whaddya need?”

“I've got Hanahaki Disease, I've uh-” Zuko hastily shoves the book towards the healer, “got a book if you need to know anything else..”

"You- you've, what?" Reili grabs the book and starts browsing the pages. 

"I-"

"Alright, sh! Gimme a second to catch up with ya’” 

The book certainly explained the disease, she notes,  _ huh _ this really was interesting, unrequited love. This obviously wasn’t a simple fever or cough. Surgery as a possible cure huh, seems like the most simple option, that must be why Zuko is here… The book closes with a snap.

“Alright Zuko, I’m guessing you wanna get these plants out of you as soon as possible right?” Zuko nods, she continues, “and you aren't going to confess, obviously, so that leaves surgery, and you need a healer to do that so you came to me,” Zuko just keeps nodding and fidgeting his hands, “Unfortunately I can't do this right now, I dont have the proper tools or herbs. I'll try and get them as soon as possible but even then it might now work. Ok?”

“Yeah, that uh, works, it should be awhile before I’m actually close to dying so…”

Reili sits down on the cot beside Zuko, she wraps an arm around his shoulder. Her lips widen in a playful smile.

“Can I ask who has stolen our dear Fire Lord’s heart?”

Zuko perks up at that and looks at Reili, the weight of her arm on his shoulders is comforting. 

“Er, yeah, it's Sokka.”

“AH HA! I should have known”

Right after her loud outburst of energy it was time for Zuko’s lungs to act up again. He hunched over in a cough. ZUko could  _ feel _ the strain on his lungs, he could  _ feel  _ the petal lodged in his throat, desperate to get out. He coughed a dn coughed and coughed, Reili patting his and trying to help. And finally- finally, he could breathe again. 

The new petals laying in his hand. His throat still burned. 

“Oh. I’m… gonna get you some water ok? I’ll be back in a second.”

Reili walked into the side room and filled a cup with water. Zuko on the other hand, just sat there. More flower petals, two more. He had a total of seven now. Seven flower petals were in his lungs. And more were growing. Agni, he really was dying wasn't he…

Before he could continue down that dark train of thought Reili came back with the water. Zuko glady drank it all in a few gulps. The water’s effect was immediate, it soothed the burn and freed his throat. In a few seconds it was gone.

‘Thank you Reili,” Zuko stood up and made his way to the door, “Please notify me when you have any developments on our end.”

“I will Zuko” She offered him a small, but sad smile before Zuko left the infirmary and returned to his duties. 

___

The next few meetings were a blur. Everyone discussed the seemingly infinite problems of the Fire Nation, and most of the informants didn't have a solution, which granted  _ was  _ the job of the council, but still, couldn't anyone have any idea of what they wanted done, that  _ wasn't _ completely ridiculous. 

Thankfully it was lunchtime, and he finally had a break before the last meeting.

It was a simple lunch, Sokka was not present which he did not know how to feel about. Nope- best to just not think of Sokka at all right now, afterall Reili would have the surgery prep ready in no time and he would be cured, his life would go back to normal, and he wouldn't die.

The walk back to the council chamber was pleasant, after all he had been sitting down practically all day. He sat down and waited for the room to fill up before the announcements began. What he  _ did not _ expect was that when everyone was there,  _ Sokka  _ would be one of the people with an announcement. 

“I’m sure you all know that I’ve been the Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe for while now, and I have to thank the Fire Nation for their hospitality,”

Sokka was pointedly  _ not looking Zuko in the eye _ . And if Zuko knew anything about social interactions- which granted he didn't, he would still know that whatever Sokka was about to say, he thought Zuko wouldn't like it. 

“I am going to take a two month leave and return home to visit my tribe.”

_ Oh _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long update time, writers block is just smashing me in the brain so I think I'm gonna need a bit more time for the next chapter. Hope you all enjoyed! Feel free to comment what you thought!
> 
> Next Update: January 26-February 2


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